Ask a Stoner: Visually Stimulating Movies for Stoners

Dear Stoner: What are some good visual movies to watch while stoned? I’m not talking about stoner hits – no How High or Half Baked, ya dig?
Darlene Darko

Dear Darlene: Increased movie snobbery and subsequently getting lost on the Netflix scroll is a dangerous side effect of smoking cannabis: I spent at least 45 minutes looking for a flick last night before turning off the TV and going to sleep. When I’m really in the mood for something visually stimulating after a sesh, though, I go with cartoons. Not Dreamworks or Pixar; adult cartoons with violence and drama.

Heavy Metal is one of my favorite animated movies of all time, with plenty of violence, action and amazing artwork – and its uber-’80s soundtrack is hypnotizing. More serious animated films, like Waking Life or Watership Down (for totally different reasons), also provide visuals while making you think about the perception of life, freedom and tyranny. Loving Vincent, a full-length feature film about Vincent van Gogh whose scenes were hand-painted by a rotating roster of more than 100 artists – is still playing in movie theaters and was one of the most stunning movies I’ve ever seen, stoned or not. Catch that one pronto.

Have a question for our Stoner? E-mail marijuana@westword.com.